Toy puzzle.



W. LUDLUM, JB.

TOY PUZZLE.

APPLICATION FILED AP1\.4,11014.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914.

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Snom/L to@ Witnesses im w u' L. ma@ wm im m mm /MM THE NORRIS PETERS CO4. PHOTO-LITHU., WASHINGTON. D, C

E STATES PATENT OFFICE..`

WILLIAM LUDLU'M, JR., 0F MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 J. 0. STEVENS, OF PLAINFIELI), NEW JERSEY.

TOY PUZZLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 4;, 1914.

Application filed April 4, 1914. Serial No. 829,463.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM LUDLUM, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing in Mount Vernon, Vestchester county, New York, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Puzzles, `of which the following is a specication.

The invention relates to a toy puzzle in which a marble is caused by gravity to travel along the line or path of a wall, the path extending between the line of the wall and holes or apertures in the floor, it being possible to so manipulate the ball or marble and to apply the action of gravity that the ball will pass along the line of the wall and avoid falling into the holes in the floor.

The object of this invention is to provide a puzzle more dillicult to successfully operate and control the ball, and to this end the line of the wall is arranged in the form of a series of concentric triangles and the holes are located in the floor, adjacent to the angles.

In the drawings Figure l is a complete plan view, Fig. 2, is a vertical section at the inner surface of the base of the triangular box.

The box a, is triangular and is made of pasteboard or thin wood; it has a bottom g, and may be supplied with a cover cl. Within the box is an intermediate floor f, leaving a space s, between the bottom of the box g, and the floor f, this space is greater than the diameter of a marble or a ball; on the flooryl is a thin wall b, of continuous extent forme into a series of concentric triangles, the space between adjacent walls b, is somewhat greater than the diameter of the marble m.

In the floor f, are a series of holes L, one adjacent to each angle of a triangle; these holes h, are of slightly greater diameter than marble m. The space c, provides storage for marbles out of use. The arrows show the direction of the marble m, movement being due to tilting the box to a suitable extent to provide acceleration for the marble, while avoiding the holes 7L. The angles and the presence of the adjacent holes it, in proximity to the angles, where an abrupt change in the direction of movement of marble/mis obligatory, makes the travel of the marble extremely hazardous and difficult. Effort is made to direct the movement of the marble from the point shown at the base of the triangle to a pointwithin the central triangle without permitting the marble to enter any of the holes.

What I claim is:

In a toy or puzzle, the combination, in a box, of a floor fixed in position intermediate the upper edge and bottom of said box, a partition consisting of a continuous concentric thin strip set on edge, fixed to said floor and arranged to form acute angles arranged in three series, in three radial lines, said lines being approximately 120 a art, said floor having a series of perforations, each perforation adjacent an angle, each hole being separated from an angle a sufficient distance to permit the passage of a ball when moved by gravity suitably graduated, substantially as described.

WILLIAM LUDLUM, J R.

Witnesses:

JOHN C. SANDERS, J. O. STEVENS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, `by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents,

Washington, I).` 0. 

